


Tenderness

by Ridja



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, yes there's a cute moment with the dinosaur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 11:26:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13680735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ridja/pseuds/Ridja
Summary: Everything could be crumbling around Karolina Dean, but at least she would always have the stars to watch. Little lights illuminating the huge black sky, little symbols of hope.Or simply,Karolina and Nico's first full kiss.





	Tenderness

**Author's Note:**

> Happy V-Day everyone! I wanted to post something cute for this two for the date and I hope y'all enjoy this one!

Usually, the stars weren’t visible from Los Angeles. The pollution and the lights from the city would always make the night sky darker and smokier than it was supposed to be, so getting to see a few stars was always a matter of luck. Karolina had always enjoyed trying to find them, watch how they would shine bright in the darkness, lighting it up beautifully, even if it was just one spot or two. So she had found one good thing about running away, one good thing to rely on in the middle of the whole madness: there were more stars to see. More bright lights to shine.

 

In the nights she was unable to sleep, she would sit outside the van and look up at the sky, trying to find some comfort in the those beautiful tiny spots. They were always there. Always the same little lights illuminating the big, dark sky. Even if everything else was falling apart around her, even if her whole life had been lie, the stars were still the same.

 

It had been a week now and she was still getting used to the idea of what had happened. to her new reality. There were days when it all felt like a dream and she was almost sure that she would wake up in her old room and meet her parents for breakfast, a common breakfast where they would talk about trivial things. School, Frank’s unsuccessful auditions, Leslie’s plans for the church. Same old, same old. Those calm mornings were always the same, and she was satisfied with it. She had a good family. She had a good place and something to believe in. She was blessed.

 

But that life was over. Instead, she would still wake up inside the van, squeezed between one of her friends and Nico. The only thing that made sense in that mess: Her touch, her smell, the softness of her skin. Waking up to the feeling of Nico’s arms wrapped around her waist, her head against her back, or shoulder if they had slept facing each other, her gentle caresses to wake Karolina up in the morning. Little gestures that were becoming habits. Each of them warming Karolina up inside, making her still believe in _something_.

 

She wondered what it would have been like to be with Nico if their parents were normal. Sleepovers turning into makeout sessions, secretly holding hands when Leslie wasn’t looking, pecking each other’s lips somewhere safe in between classes. A hidden relationship of the kind her mother would never approve. Even hypothetically wondering about, trying to picture how Leslie would react to the fact her  _ precious  _ little girl, “the millenial face of the church” was a-- liked girls made her shiver. 

 

Even if Pride never happened, she still wouldn’t be safe at home. 

  
  


“ _ Rrrrr.” _ Her thoughts were interrupted by Old Lace making a quiet noise from the bottom of her throat, giving her a puzzled look. The dinosaur had been feeding and she still smelled like blood and guts, a smell Karolina had oddly grown used to it, as had the rest of them. Old Lace was as much a part of their messed up family as everyone else.

 

“Can’t sleep…” She told the animal with a shrug, deciding to raise a hand towards her muzzle, asking for permission to touch her. Old Lace leaned down, her huge head gently touching Karolina’s hand.  “Thanks, girl…” She smiled, caressing her softly. Lace’s scales were hard and cold against her hand, but somehow comforting like the fur of a fluffy pet.

 

“Should I be worried?” Nico’s voice startled Karolina a bit, making her jump for a moment. Old Lace made a complaint noise, squinting her eyes at Nico. “Hey!” She grimaced, touching the dinosaur’s muzzle gently, waiting for her to accept her pets, which she gladly did. For a cold blooded being, she could be quite affectionate. Very much like Gert.

 

“Such a good girl, aren’t you?” Karolina said in a silly baby voice, smiling widely. Nico giggled, staring up at her. The blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes focused on the dinosaur, showing the same awe and tenderness one would show towards a kitten, a little smile playing on her soft lips. Nico bit her own, her heart speeding up. She felt  _ silly. _ They were simply petting Gert’s stupid dinosaur and somehow, Karolina was able to make it almost magical.

 

“ _ Rrrrr” _ Old Lace made a noise that resembled a purr, leaning closer to the girls. Nico decided to sit beside Karolina, her hand going up and down the dinosaur’s muzzle. Every so often, her skin would gently brush against her friend’s in between the pets, instantly lightning up a sparkle that went up both of their bodies. Lace, of course, didn’t care about it, getting softer and softer with their touches.

 

“Go to sleep, girl. One of us has to…” Karolina said, chuckling with no humor. Lace moved her head like a nod, finding herself a position to sleep beside the girls. Nico grimaced,taking Karolina’s hand, making sure their fingers were intertwined.

 

“Can’t sleep?” She was aware the question was obvious, but she had been meaning to talk to Karolina about it for a while. It didn’t go unnoticed by her that she hadn’t been sleeping lately and how long it would take for her to join them inside the van. Most of all, Nico had noticed Karolina’s insomnia because she wouldn’t be able to sleep before she joined them either. 

 

“It has been a while…” Karolina confessed, sighing. She looked down at her lap, tracing circles on her pants for a couple of seconds, before looking at Nico again. “I can’t stop thinking about it. About my mom. About Pride. About…  _ My dad _ . I know I should have expected for him to betray us too, but I really thought he was one of the good ones…” Karolina frowned. “Turns out there’s no such thing as  _ good ones _ …” 

 

Nico nodded, squeezing her hand in an attempt to give her some comfort.

 

“I thought my dad was one of the good ones too…” She sighed, looking up at the stars. Karolina did the same, both standing in silence for a couple of minutes, lost in their own thoughts, in their own regrets.

 

“Do you think this is where he comes from?” Karolina was the one to break it. Nico frowned, looking at her puzzled.

 

“You mean Jonah?” Karolina nodded.

 

“And if he did, does that mean I’m a--” She asked, staring at the bracelet in her wrist, the same side where Nico was holding her hand.

 

“Does it matter?” Nico asked softly, taking her free hand up to Karolina’s face, brushing it softly. “What you can do… Is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

 

Karolina couldn’t keep herself from smiling. Nico thought she was beautiful. She had heard that word thrown around a lot to mention her. Variations of it too.  _ Your child is so pretty, Leslie! Karolina, you look gorgeous today! Aww, Frank, she’s so cute! _

 

It was a little flattering, but not more than that. She would usually smile and thank the person and keep going with her day without giving much thought into it.

 

But the way Nico said it. The way Nico looked at her. It gave a funny feeling in her stomach, like an itch, but a good one. One that warmed her up and went up to her chest, heating up her heart, getting to her cheeks and tinting them pink.

 

“You really think so?” Karolina asked, smiling at Nico who nodded, opening up a smile for her. She caressed Karolina’s hand, taking her hand up to her wrist, finding the hook of her bracelet.

 

“Can I?” She asked, to which Karolina nodded, smiling a bit. Nico got the bracelet off, watching her, fascinated. The glow started in her arms and legs, flashes of blue, pink and purple coloring her skin, little sparkles moving around her body, the contrast between them and the colors reminding Nico of the starry(ish) sky above them, but better. It sparkled with uncountable stars and the light traveled, pulsating like a beating heart. Delighted, she watched, her eyes following each of the colors, the way they danced and vibrated in Karolina’s skin and even in her hair. “Wow…” She gasped, smiling to the sight. She hadn’t really had the chance to admire her before, not when they were on a rescue mission or facing their parents. Now, she could simply contemplate.

 

“Thank you…” Karolina said, losing her breath to the way Nico looked at her, noticing a little strand of hair out of place and gently placing it back behind her ear, caressing Nico’s cheek. The girl smiled, staring into the Karolina’s eyes.

 

“It’s so warm…” Nico’s voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, as if she was telling it more to herself than Karolina. She closed her eyes to take in that sensation.

 

“It’s probably warmer if you hug me…” Karolina offered, opening her arms to the smaller girl who gladly snuggled into them and laying her head on her shoulder. It  _ wa _ s warm and even if they were in a place as hot as Los Angeles, Nico couldn’t deny how comforting it was. If there was a person meant to have a power that gave light and healing, it was Karolina. Sweet Karolina who had always been so kind to everyone, who was willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good of the group. Of course her powers would be so beautiful and bright, as if her inner self flowed out.

 

“You’re beautiful too, you know…” Karolina said softly, her hands going up and down Nico’s back. She pulled away just a little, so she could look up at Kar, unable to find a verbal answer, instead placing her hand behind her head, lightly pulling her closer, so their lips would join.

 

The kiss was slow and tender, but longer, each of them taking the time and chance to explore each other’s lips. Karolina kept caressing Nico’s back up and down, giving her a soft tingling sensation in whichever spot her fingertips were, while Nico embraced Karolina’s waist and used her free hand to brush against her cheek and neck, making the girl shiver. They spent a couple of seconds kissing like that, until the break for air was needed. A quick one since neither of them wanted their lips to be separated for long. They started a second kiss, then a third, more intense this time, Karolina holding Nico tight against herself, wrapping her arms around her smaller figure, one on her lower back, the other on her upper one, squeezing them together. Nico held her head gently again, guiding Karolina through the kiss, still caressing her neck with the other. Slowly, she slid her tongue in between their lips, asking for permission.

 

Karolina had never been kissed like that. Growing up as a church girl, she had never felt the need to explore that when she was younger, or maybe it was because she was gay and boys had never truly attracted her, but it didn’t matter. She still lacked the experience and upon feeling Nico’s tongue, her heart sped up with curiosity, desire and a little bit of fear. Fear of being really bad at it and disappointing Nico. 

 

She parted her lips anyway, a gentle moan escaping her lips when she felt her in. She relaxed a little, following Nico’s movements, each touch of their tongues making Karolina softer, happier. It was a little bit like flying. Scary at first, but trilling and wonderful once she got the hang of it, speeding up her heart and her breath, sending shivers up and down her spine. Unique.

 

They pulled apart, smiles printed on their faces and it was hard to know which one of them had a bigger one. Karolina placed her forehead gently against Nico’s, both closing their eyes and taking in each other’s breathes.

 

“Hey, Kar?” Nico called softly. 

 

“Hm?”

 

“With all the shit that’s happening… I’m glad you’re here with me.”

 

“So am I.”

 

Their old life was dead along with everything they knew, but there was one good thing to find in the middle of all that mess. One thing that mattered.

 

Like a single star shining in the middle of the pollution of LA’s night sky.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr on the-mightywanheda and on twitter under @smolsassygay
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
